The recent diplomatic exchanges between the governments of Indonesia and China concerning Chinese fishing activities in the waters off the Natuna Islands in the South China Sea raise questions on the extent to which there are legal disputes between Indonesia and China with regard to sovereignty claims and maritime claims in the South China Sea.

The sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea arise from the fact that China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and possibly Brunei claim sovereignty over some or all of the Spratly Islands.